£210m is high price to pay for ignoring your workers

A percentage of employment claims will undoubtedly be made with little or no substance to them (‘Employment tribunal claims cost employers £210m per year’, PersonnelToday.com, 14 February).

Employers who treat their employees badly – often in the pursuit of short-term profit – fail to take account of the cost of defending legitimate claims at an employment tribunal, the cost of a poorly motivated workforce, and the recruitment and training costs resulting from high turnover.

If only employers would spend a bit of time and effort in trying to get the best from their employees, their costs would reduce and their long-term profitability would almost certainly increase.

This is not about being pink and fluffy. It is about recognising that competitive advantage comes from people in the organisation and how they are led.

Ian WilderCorporate investors in people project manager,Ministry of Defence